Marksmanship practicing means



emu! m July 2, 1935. c. w. GRIFFITH MARKSMANSHIP PRACTICING MEANS Filed April 12, 1954 %W x% N 240. iLLUMlNA'l tum,

Fatented July 2, 1935 PATENT OFFICE MARKSMANSHIP PRACTICING MEANS Charles W. Griffith, Tulsa, Okla., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Rayolite Rifle Range Company, Tulsa, Okla,

a corporation of Oklahoma Application April 12, 1934, Serial No. 720,296

5 Claims. (Cl. 240-6.41)

The invention aims to provide a new and improved means for practicing markmanship without the necessity of shooting a projectile, and in attaining this end, the practice gun is provided with means for projecting a flash of light against a light-sensitive target.

In carrying out the above end, further aims are to provide a novel gun for projecting the flash of light when the trigger is pulled and to provide a unique light sensitive target for receiving the light flash, said target preferably including a photo-electric cell for bringing indicating and/or recording means into play.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawmg.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the gun and a vertical sectional view partly in elevation of the target.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view partly in elevation cut through the breech portion of the gun and. showing the normal relation of elements.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 but showing the manner in which pulling the trigger effects illumination of an electric light bulb to produce the flash of light.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view partly in elevation, taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the movable switch member and light bulb carrier.

One form of construction has been selected for illustration in the present application and while this construction will be specifically described, it is to be understood that numerous variations may be made within the scope of the invention as claimed.

A practice gun is shown having a stock It, although it might well be provided with a pistol grip instead. At the front of the stock I0, is a casing II from which a barrel |2 projects forwardly. A pivoted trigger l3 projects downwardly below the casing l l and provision is made for projecting a light flash forwardly from the gun against a light-sensitive target I4 whenever the trigger |3 is pulled, the path of the flash of light being denoted at l5 in Fig. 1.

Suitably secured within the casing H, I have shown another casing I6 having a forwardly projecting step in which a slot 8 is formed. A socket 9 'for an electric bulb zilis received in this slot, said socket being carried by an insulating member 2| which is slidable in the step H of the casing l6, being guided by contact with the top and bottom walls 22 and 23 of said step. The insulating member 2| carries a contact 24 for coaction with a fixed contact 25 suitably mounted 5 in the step IT. The member 2| is normally held in a rear position by means of coiled springs or the like 26 but when said member is pushed forwardly, the contact 24 engages the contact 25 and completes the circuit of the bulb 29. The light rays from this bulb pass through an appropriate lens 21 suitably mounted in the barrel I2, said lens being preferably adjustable with respect to the bulb. For adjusting purposes, I have shown screw threads 29. Wiring 30 is shown conductively connected with the contacts 24 and 25 and with the socket I9, and this wiring may receive current from either a storage battery or an electric light socket or line.

Rotatably mounted in the casing l6 behind the member 2|, is a ratchet wheel 3| which is co-axial with and rigidly connected with a star-wheel 32, a transverse shaft 33 being shown for mounting the two wheels. The arms of the star-wheel 32 are equal in number to the teeth of the ratchet wheel 3|, and said arms co-act with a push-pin 34 which is carried by and projects rearwardly from the member 2|. A suitable pawl 35 is pivotally mounted upon the upper end of the trigger l3 for co-action with the ratchet wheel 3| to rotate the latter a predetermined distance each time the trigger is pulled, and during such rotation, the star-wheel 32 pushes the pin 34 forwardly as seen in Fig. 3, thereby forwardly sliding the member 2| and bringing the contact 24 against the contact 25 to complete the circuit of the bulb 20.

A suitable return spring 36 is provided for the trigger l3 and another spring 37 is employed for allowing the pawl 35 to click over the teeth of the ratchet wheel 3| when the trigger returns to its normal position.

By the construction shown and described, each time the trigger 3 is pulled, the circuit of the bulb 20 is completed, thereby illuminating said bulb and causing projection of the light flash I5 against the light-sensitive target Ill.

The target l4 preferably includes a photoelectric cell 38 for bringing an indicator and/or a recorder into play to show whether or not the shot has been successful. To shield the cell 38 against light, I have shown an appropriate hood 39 having a small light entrance opening 40 across which a light dispersing lens 4| extends.

If the aim is sufilicently accurate to direct the light flash I5 upon the lens 4|, said flash so acts upon the photo-electric cell 38 as to give the desired indication and/ or recording through the instrumentality of any appropriate means forming no part of the present invention.

It will be seen from the foregoing that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the objects of the invention, but attention is again invited to the possibility of making numerous variations.

50 is a back sight and 5| a front sight, both mounted on the barrel. These two sights define a line of sight which is substantially coextensive with the axial line of the barrel. The light rays F projected by the lens are not, of course, parallel and the disk of light impinging upon the target at a distance from the gun is larger in diameter than the disk of light as it leaves the gun, so that while the line of sight is not absolutely coaxial with the light ray, it is so nearly coaxial that the line of sight passes through the disk at a point adjacent the center thereof. Hence, if the line of sight passes through the target the disk of light flashed out from the light source will impinge upon the target and energize the photoelectric cell.

It will be understood that the mechanism described in the gun is such that upon each pull of the trigger the switch is operated to close the circuit, but that unless the trigger has been pulled from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3 the switch is no longer under control of the trigger, being automatically released therefrom, and when so released automatically opening to break the circuit so that the light source is instantaneously energized and deenergized once upon each trigger pull whereby a flash of light is projected forwardly along the line of sight of the gun just as a physically weighted. bullet is projected forwardly along the line of sight of a gun when powder is burned behind it in the conventional manner.

It will be understood, of course, that it is essential for the successful operation of the device that only a flash of light be projected upon each trigger manipulation. If the light stayed on for anything more than a substantially instantaneous flash period then the operator would be able to swing the gun around after the trigger was pulled and use the beam to help himself to guide the gun to cause the indication, much as a hose might be used. Such mechanism would be utterly useless, of course, for the purpose here in question, which is to determine whether or not at the instant the trigger was pulled, and only at that instant, the gun was properly aimed.

I claim:

1. A target gun having a barrel and a casing at the rear end of said barrel, a second casing secured in the first named casing and having a forwardly projecting step, the upper part of said step being formed with a slot, a bulb carrier slidable forwardly and rearwardly in said step and normally disposed at the limit of its rearward movement, a bulb socket secured upon said carrier and received in saidslot, a bulb in said socket positioned to project a light beam through said barrel, fixed and movable contacts for completing the circuit of said bulb, said contacts being carried by said step and carrier respectively a trigger extending into said second casing, and means actuated by said trigger for forwardly sliding said carrier to engage the movable with the fixed contact each time said trigger is pulled.

2. A target gun having a barrel and a casing at the rear end of said barrel, a second casing secured in the first named casing and having a forwardly projecting step, the upper part of said step being formed with a slot, a bulb carrier slidable forwardly and rearwardly in said step and normally disposed at the limit of its rearward movement, said carrier having a rearwardly projecting push-pin, a star-wheel mounted in said second casing for forwardly pushing said pushpin and carrier to engage the movable with the fixed contact each time said star-wheel is turned, and pawl and ratchet means in said second casing for turning said star wheel, said pawl and ratchet means having an actuating trigger extending accessibly therefrom.

3. A target gun having a light beam projecting bulb, a switch for said bulb, an actuating member for said switch movable to a switch-closed position and to a switch-open position, a rotary star wheel operatively related with said actuating member for pushing said actuating member to said switch-closed position and then immediately releasing said actuating member each time said star wheel is turned to a predetermined extent, spring means for moving said actuating member to said switch open position each time said actuating member is released by said star wheel, a trigger, and ratchet means operatively associated with said star wheel and actuated by said trigger for turning said star wheel to a predetermined extent each time said trigger is pulled.

4. In combination, a gun adapted to be supported and controlled exclusively by a shooter, front and rear sights thereon defining a line of sight, 2. light source in the gun, a switch biased to open position for controlling energization of said light source, switch actuating means including a rotary cam member operative when rotated to close the switch and then immediately release the same for opening movement under the influence of said bias, and means responsive to actuation of the trigger for intermittently driving the cam, and. means for concentrating and projecting the flash of light along a line substantially concurrent with the line of sight of the gun.

5. In combination, a gun adapted to be supported and controlled exclusively by a shooter, front and rear sights thereon defining a line of sight, a light source in the gun, a trigger, and a switch biased to open position for controlling energization of said light source, switch actuating means including a rotary cam member operative when rotated to close the switch and then immediately release the same for opening movement under the influence of said bias, and means responsive to actuation of the trigger for intermittently driving the cam.

CHARLES W. GRIFFITH. 

